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Effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on interrogative suggestibility in minor witnesses of sexual abuse

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Abstract

Exposure to traumatic events in childhood may lead to the development of important clinical manifestations such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), often associated with internal defences of a dissociative nature. The present study aims to verify if and how memory tasks and levels of suggestibility are affected by PTSD in children called to testify in cases of suspected sexual abuse. One hundred and fourteen participants (children and adolescents) were recruited, of which 65 developed PTSD following the reported abusive experience. A greater suggestive vulnerability was detected in children with PTSD than in those who had not developed post-traumatic symptoms. Furthermore, the study assessed the relationship between immediate and delayed suggestibility and other symptomatic manifestations associated with trauma, such as anxiety, depression, anger and dissociation.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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  1. Centre for Education and Research in Forensic Psychology, Department of Human Sciences, University of Urbino, Urbino, Italy

    Monia Vagni, Tiziana Maiorano & Daniela Pajardi

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  1. Monia Vagni
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  2. Tiziana Maiorano
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Vagni, M., Maiorano, T. & Pajardi, D. Effects of post-traumatic stress disorder on interrogative suggestibility in minor witnesses of sexual abuse. Curr Psychol 41, 7681–7694 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01253-7

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